harvey bradley had been superintendent of the rollo mills not quite a year when, to his annoyance, the first strike in their history took place.
young bradley was a college graduate, a trained athlete, and a bright and ambitious man, whose father was president of the company in new york which owned the extensive mills. it was deemed best to have a direct representative of the corporation on the ground, and harvey qualified himself for the responsible situation by a six-months' apprenticeship, during all of which he wrought as hard as any laborer in the establishment.
he made his home in the remote village of bardstown, where the rollo mills had been built. he lived with his aunt maria, (who went all the way from new york with her favorite nephew that she might look after him), and his sister dollie, only six years old. the plan was that she should stay until christmas, when her father was to come and take her home. aunt maria, with the help of honest maggie murray, kept house for harvey, who found his hands and brains fully occupied in looking after the interests of the rollo mills, which gave employment to two hundred men, women and children.
all went well with the young superintendent for some months after the assumption of his duties. he was alert, and surprised every one by his practical knowledge. he was stern and strict, and, after warning several negligent employes, discharged them. this did not help his popularity, but, so long as the directors were satisfied, harvey cared for the opinion of no one else.
when dull times came, superintendent bradley scaled down the wages of all, including his own. the promise to restore them, as soon as business warranted the step, averted the threatened strike. within a month the restoration took place, but every employe was required to work a half hour over time without additional pay.
a strike was averted for the time, but the friendly feeling and mutual confidence that ought to exist between the employer and the employed was destroyed. the latter kept at work, and the former felt that he had not sacrificed his dignity nor his discipline.
but the discontent increased. one day hugh o'hara, the chief foreman, and thomas hansell, one of the most influential of the workmen, called upon mr. bradley, and speaking for the employes, protested against the new arrangement. they said every man, woman and child was willing to work the extra half hour, but inasmuch as the need for such extra time indicated an improvement in business, they asked for the additional pay to which they were clearly entitled.
harvey was looking for such protest and he was prepared. he said it was an error to think there was an improvement in business. while in one sense it might be true, yet the price of the manufactured goods had fallen so low that the mills really made less money than before. the wages that had been paid were better than were warranted by the state of trade. now, when the employes were asked to help in a slight degree their employers who had done so much for them, they would not do so. o'hara and hansell, showing a wish to discuss the matter, the superintendent cut them short by saying that it was idle to talk further. he would not make any reduction in their time, nor would he pay any extra compensation.
that night 200 employes of the rollo mills quit work, with the intention of staying out until justice was done them. harvey asserted that he would never yield; he would spend a few days in overhauling the machinery and in making a few needed repairs; then, if the employes chose, they could come back. all who did not do so would not be taken back afterwards. new hands would be engaged and in a short time the mills would be running the same as before.
o'hara and hansell warned the superintendent that serious trouble would follow any such course. while making no threat themselves, they told him that blood was likely to be shed. harvey pooh-poohed and reminded them that a few men and children would make sorry show in fighting the whole state, for, in the event of interference by the strikers, he meant to appeal to the authorities.
the repairs needed at the mills were soon made. steam was gotten up and the whistle called the hands to work. only o'hara and hansell came forward. they explained that all would be glad to take their places if the superintendent would allow them a slight increase of pay for overwork. they had held a meeting and talked over the matter, and now abated a part of their first demand; they were willing to accept one-half rate for overtime.
the superintendent would not yield a jot. the most that he would consent to do was to wait until noon for them to go to work. the two men went away muttering threats; not one of the hands answered the second call to work.
quite sure that such would be the result, harvey had telegraphed to carville, fifty miles away, for sixty men, to take the place of those who had quit work. he asked only for men, since it would have been unwise to bring women and children to become involved in difficulties.
by some means this step became known, and, as is always the case, it added fuel to the flames. warning notices were sent to the superintendent that if the new hands went to work they would be attacked; bradley himself was told to keep out of sight unless ready to come to the terms of the strikers. even in his own home, he could not be guaranteed safety. his house as well as the mills would be burnt.
harvey felt no special alarm because of these threats; he did not believe that those who made them dare carry them out. but that night the mills escaped destruction only by the vigilance of the extra watchmen. the same evening aunt maria was stopped on the village street and told that it was best she should lose no time in moving away with her little niece dollie, since it was more than likely the innocent would suffer with the guilty. for the first time, harvey understood the earnestness of the men; but he clung to his resolution all the same.
you can see how easily the trouble could have been ended. the employes had abated their first demand and were willing to compromise. had harvey spoken his honest thoughts, he would have said the men were right, or at any rate he ought to have agreed to their proposal to submit the dispute to arbitration; but he was too proud to yield.
"they will take it for weakness on my part," was his thought; "it will make an end of all system and open the way for demands that in the end will destroy the business."
the sixty new hands reached bardstown and were about as numerous as the men who wrought in the mills before the strike. they looked like a determined band, who would be able to take care of themselves in the troubles that impended.
the arrivals were received with scowls by the old employes, who hooted and jeered them as they marched grimly to the mills. no blows were struck, though more than once an outbreak was imminent. it was too late in the day to begin work, but the new hands were shown through the establishment, with a view of familiarizing them to some extent with their new duties. most of them had had some experience in the same kind of work, but there was enough ignorance to insure much vexation and loss.
the night that followed was so quiet that harvey believed the strikers had been awed by his threat to appeal to the law and by the determined front of the new men.
"it's a dear lesson," he said to himself, "but they need it, and it is high time it was taught to them."
the next morning the whistle sent out its ear-splitting screech, whose echoes swung back and forth, like so many pendulums between the hills, but to the amazement of harvey bradley, not a person was seen coming toward the mills. the whistle called them again, and hugh o'hara and tom hansell strolled leisurely up the street to the office, where mr. bradley wonderingly awaited them.
"you'll have to blow that whistle a little louder," said o'hara, with a tantalizing grin.
"what do you mean, sir?"
"those chaps all left town last night; they must be about forty miles away; you see we explained matters to them; i don't think, if i was you, i would feel bad about it; they believe they can get along better at carville than at bardstown."
for the first time since the trouble began, harvey bradley lost his temper. to be defied and taunted in this manner was more than he could bear. he vowed over again that not one of the strikers should do another day's work for him, even if he begged for it on his knees and he was starving. he at once telegraphed to vining, fully one hundred miles away, where he knew there were many people idle, for one hundred men who would not only come, but stay. he preferred those who knew something about the business, but the first need was that the men would remain at their posts, and if necessary fight for their positions. he guaranteed larger wages than he had ever paid experienced hands, but he wanted no man who would not help hold the fort against all comers. the superintendent was on his mettle; he meant to win.
having sent off this message, for which it cannot be denied, harvey had every legal and moral warrant, he set out on a long tramp through the woods at the rear of bardstown. it was a crisp autumn day, and the long brisk walk did him much good. the glow came to his cheeks, his blood was warmed, and his brain cleared by the invigorating exercise. so much indeed did he enjoy it that he kept it up until, to his surprise, he saw that it was growing dark, and he was several miles from home.
it was snowing, though not heavily. he walked fast, but, when night had fully come, paused with the uncomfortable discovery that he was hopelessly lost in the woods.
"well, this is pleasant!" he exclaimed, looking around in vain for some landmark in the gloom. "i believe i shall have to spend the night out doors, though i seem to be following some sort of path."
he struck a match, shading it with his hand from the chilly wind, and stooped down. yes; there was an unmistakable trail, and with renewed hope he hurried on, taking care not to stray to either side. within the next ten minutes, to his delight, he caught the twinkle of a star-like point of light among the trees, a short distance ahead.
while making his way hopefully forward, harvey became aware of a singular fact. the air around him was tainted with a peculiar odor, such as he had never met before. it was of a rank nature, and, while not agreeable, could not be said to be really unpleasant. it might have interested him more, but for his anxiety to reach the shelter which was now so near at hand.
arriving at the cabin, he found the latch-string hanging out. a sharp pull, the door was swung inward and harvey stepped into a small room, lit up by a crackling wood-fire on the hearth.
as he entered, two men who were smoking their pipes, looked up. the visitor could not hide his expression of surprise, for they were hugh o'hara and thomas hansell, the last persons in the world he wished to see.
